Abstract: Abstract: With the introduction of regional R&D coalition into an endogenous growth model, the connection between regional R&D coalition and economic growth pattern transformation has been explored. A theoretical study indicates that the transforming toward an innovation-driven growth could be accomplished in advance by the establishment of regional R&D coalition. Although indigenous innovation would slow down the growth when the level of knowledge stock is relatively low; after a certain level of knowledge stock, indigenous innovation would become the engine for the economic growth. When the level of knowledge stock is insufficient for maintaining innovation-driven growth, the regional R&D coalition could act as a carrier for indigenous innovation, the coalition would expedite the transform of economic growth pattern by regional cooperation, exert respective advantages, enhance innovation capabilities, and improve innovation performance. The hypothesis has also been tested by an empirical analysis with the data collected from textile industry in Yangtze River Delta.

Key words: regional R&D coalition, indigenous innovation, Yangtze River Delta, textile industry, knowledge stock